Sewerage & Water Board crews are working to repair a 16-inch water main that busted around 3 a.m. today, spewing clean water onto a Lakeview side street, an agency spokesman said.

Clogged catch basins forced the water to back up in the 6800 block of Louis XIV Street, causing minor street flooding, though it did not appear that water got into any homes, spokesman Robert Jackson said.

The S&WB dispatched a vacuum truck around dawn to clear the catch basins so the pooled water could begin to drain, he said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the water pipe to burst or when it would be fixed, Jackson said. Water service to the area was shut off for several hours to facilitate initial repairs, he said.

A skeleton crew working the overnight shift responded shortly after the break and shut down nearby valves to reduce spillage, he said.

Major repairs -- along with the vacuum effort -- got underway when the S&WB's full complement of daytime employees reported to work between 6 and 7 a.m., Jackson said, adding that overnight staffing and general maintenance have been reduced in light of budget constraints. The S&WB has proposed nearly doubling customer rates for water and sewer services to pay for capital improvements and upkeep.

While the S&WB maintains most of New Orleans' underground drainage infrastructure, the city's Public Works Department is responsible for keeping catch basins clear, though officials often implore residents to do their part to rid the grates of debris.

A spokesman for Mayor Mitch Landrieu said the city last cleaned out catch basins along Louis XIV Street in July.